Railroad-crossing gate



Jan 20. 192.5.

D. M. sAqND Rs RAILROAD CROSSING GATE Filed-Feb. 21,

19 24 4 Sheets-Swat 2 v ll w D. M. SAUNDERS RAILROAD CROSSING GATE Filed Feb. 21, 1924 -.4 Sheets-Sheet 3 D. M. S AU NDERS RAILROAD cnossnw GATE 4 Shee ts She'et 4.

Filed Feb. 21, 1924 n a W m Em uvw h 9.? a 3 a L m m NW A! MN 3w wz W60 Am I; a v lalmv \ww m W ii, D

Patented Jan. 20, 1925.,

' TWO AND ONE-HALF PER CENT TO ViRGIL BL 1,523,905 i'rEn stares ATENT orrics.

DAVID M. SAUNDERS, O13 HIUKSVILLE, GHIO, ASSIGIJGR GT3 T'i/VO AND ONE-HALF PER onnr TO oLLin s. srrntawam, Two .ann ONE-I ran CENT re JACOB s. HULL, P, rwo ann ONE-HALF PER rr TO nennnr 1a. nnnirs'rolv, a new oivn-rianr ran onn'r 'ro Jnssn o. LONGSWORTH, Two (inn-nan ran 0 rue TO Farina: enn'rrr, rwo AND ONEHALE PER CENT 'ro ARCHIE onann, nnn rev-o an'n ONE-HALF ran CENT TO J. siinnivran nan-r, ALL or r-rronsvILLE, OHIO; AND CHE-HALF PER cnn'r T0 LUCY r. snULL, or sr. JOE, inni'rina; 'rwo ann ONE-HALF ran crn r TO wrL- LIAM n. KLECKNER, or rear warren, Inninive; AND one AND onn-ronnrn PER CENT TO ARTHUR c. BATTEILSHALL AND one AND enn-nounrn renonnrr T0 oLnn-niv ONEIL, Born: on nIcKsvILLE, onro.

CENT TO CHARLES FOOL, TWO AND OHE-HJLF Pl: 1

nnILnoan-onossme GATE.

application filed February 21, 19%.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID M. SAUNDERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at .ilicksville. in the county of Defiance and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad- Urossing Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a railroad crossng gate, the general object of the invention being to provide means for automatically lowering the gate by an approaching train and for raising the gate after the train has passed the crossing.

A further object of the invention is to provide weights for moving the gates with means actuated by the train for giving the weights their initial movements.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a track and the crossing showing my invention in use.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic elevation with parts in section.

Figure 4 is a section on line l:t of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a section on line 77 of Figure 6.

$eria1 No. 694,410.

Figure 8 is an elevation showing the parts with the gate in lowered position.

Figure 9 is a similar view but showing the parts just moved by a train to a position where the gates will be raised.

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view showing the different positions of the train actuated members.

Figures 11 and 12 are diagrammatic views showing the different positions of the weight assembly.

In these drawings, 1 indicates the track 2 the crossing and 3 the gates for controlling the crossing. These gates are pivoted at 4L to the uprights and they are provided with the. usual counter weights 6. A frame 7 is arranged adjacent the gate at one side of the track and this frame has rotatably supported therein a shaft 8 to which an arm 9 is connected and said arm is connected lov a link 10 to an arm 11 on a shaft 12 which is journaled in the gate supports 5 and extends under the track and has an arm 13 adjacent each end thereof, these arms being connected by the links i l with the gates so that as the shaft 8 is rocked the gates will be raised and lowered according to the direction of movement of the shaft. The shaft 8 carries a pair of weight assemblies A and B, each of which consists of a weight 15 having its stem 16 rotatably mounted on the shaft, a slotted segment 1'? through which the stem passes and which has its two parts fastened to the shaft by the set screws 18 and the L-shaped arm 19 which is rotataoly mounted on the shaft and which has its short arm arranged in the path of movement of the stem 16. Bolts 20 at the ends of the segments are n'ovided for adjusting the extent of movement of the weight and its stem. A chain 21 connects the two weights together and the shaft 8 is limited in its rocking movement by means of an arm thereon engaging the set screws 23 which are carried by the ears 24 on the frame '7. A pair of oppositely arranged pedals 25 and 26 are arranged adjacent a rail of the track at each side of the crossing 2 a sufiicient distance from the crossing to permit the gates to be lowered before the train reaches the crossing. These pedals are adapted to be lowered by the wheels of a train traveling in either direction on the track. The pedals have their outer ends pivotally secured to a part of the track withtheir inner ends spaced apart. A rod 27 is pivoted to each pedal and engages a socket member 28 which is pivotally and adjustably connected to an arm 29 by the pin and slot connection 30. A spring 31 .is arranged on the rod 27 for permitting movement of the pedal if the socket member and the arm 29 should fail to move for any reason and thus prevent damage to the parts or derailment of the train. By adjustably connecting the socket member 28 to the arm 29, the parts can be readjusted to compensate for the sinking of the track. The arm 29 which is connected with the pedal 25 is fastened to a shaft 32 while the arm 29 of pedal 26 is fastened to a shaft 325. These shafts are rotatably mounted in a frame 34 and each shaft has a depending arm 35 which arms are connected together by the adjustable link 36. Each shaft has a weight 37 connected therewith and the shaft 32 has an upwardly extending arm '2 thereon while the shaft 33 has a depend ing arm 33 thereon. The arm 32 is connected by a cable 38 with the upper end of the arm 19 of the assembly B while the arm 33 is connected by the cable 39 with the lower end of the arm 19 of the assembly A. The pedals 25 and 26 at the other side of the crossing 2 and their associated partsare the same as above described with the exception that the pedal 25 has its shaft connected bv the flexible member 10 with the lower end of arm 19 of assembly B and the pedal 26 has its shaft connected by the cable 41 with the upper end of arm 19 of assembly A.

From the foregoing it will be seen that as a train approaches the crossing from the right, as shown in Figure 8, it will depress the pedal 26 which will rotate the shaft 33 s that the link 36 will rotate the shaft 32 i) move the parts to a position shown in Figure 8. Due to the arrangement of the parts the shaft 32 will be rotated to a greater extent than will the shaft 33 for while the parts on shaft 33 are moving from the position a to the position I) in Figure 10; the parts on shaft 32 will be moving from the position a to the position b and thus the cable 38 attached to the shaft will be slacked while the cable 39 will be tightened t T -g the arm 19 of assembly A. and cause its lower end to engage the stem of the weight of assembly A moving the same across dead center, when said weight will drop and strike the end of the segment 17 which is nearest the crossing and thus cause the arm 9 and the parts attached thereto to lower the gates. As will beseen the two weights are connected together by the chain 21, so that one wei ht will be caused to be moved with the otier so that the weight of both assemblies will be thrown upon the gate lowering parts to actuate the same. As will also be seen. the gates are actuated by the weights as the train actuated parts only act to give the weights their initial movements and to move them across their dead centers.

The gates will thus be lowered so as to prevent vehicles or pedestrians crossing the track in front of the train and then after the train has passed the crossing it will strike the pedals and 26 which act to return the weights backwardly across the dead centers so that their momentum will raise the gates. in this action, the cable +11 is slaekened while the cable 40 is tightened and as this shaft l0 fastened to the lower end of the arm 19, of the assembly B, it will cause said member 19 to rock the weight across its dead center and thus raise the gates. v

. A train traveling in an opposite direction from that shown in the drawings will first depress the pedal 26 which will tighten the cable 11 which is connected with the upper end of the arm 19 of assembly A and thus shift the weights to cause them to lower the gates and then after the train has passed, it will actuate the pedal 25 which will cause the cable 38 which is attached. to arm 19 of assembly .13 to return the weights to their original positions and thus raise the gates again.

Thus the gates are autonnitically lowered by a train approaching the crossing and are raised by the train after it passes the crossing. The gates will be raised and lowered by a train passing in either direction along the track.

It will of course be understood that where the invention is used on a double track. the pedals and their associated parts would be changed slightly to suit these conditions. The frames and the parts carried thereby may be covered by casings, such as shown at By making the parts adjustable the correct amount of movement can be given to the same so as to secure the correct action of the device for lowering and raising the gates.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in Jun the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims. For instance, the invention may be used for other purposes than actuating railroad gates as may be used for actuating signal devices.

What I claim is 1. In combination with a railway track and a crossing, gates for controlling the crossing, weighted means for opening and closing the gates, trip means actuated by a train approaching the crossing for operating the weighted means to close the and trip means beyond the crossing for causing the Weighted means to open the gates.

2. In combination with a railway track and a crossing, gates for controlling the crossing, weighted means for opening and closing the gates, trip means actuated by a train approaching the crossing for operating the weighted means to close the gates, trip n ans beyond the crossing for causing the weighted means to open the gates, such weighted means comprising a shaft connected with the gates, a pair of weights movablv connected with the shaft, a pair of members fastened to the shaft, and having parts which are enga ed by each weight after the same passes its dead center in either direction, a pair of arms rotatalolr supported on the shaft and having exten sions engaging portions of the weights and flexible means for connecting the arms with the trip means.

3. In combination with a railway track and a crossing, gates for controlling the crossing, a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, means for connecting the shaft with the gates so that the rocking movement of the shaft: will raise and lower the gates, a pair of weight assemblies on the shaft, each consisting of a weight having its stem rotatably connected with the shaft, a slotted member fastened to the shaft and through which the stem passes and an L-shaped arm rotatably mounted on the shaft and having a short arm arranged in the path of movement of the stem of the weight, trip mechanism at each side of the crossing and flexible means for connecting the same with the L-shaped arms.

a. In combination with a railway track and a crossing, gates for controlling the crossing, a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, means for connecting the shaft with the gates so that the rocking movement of the shaft will raise and lower the gates, a pair of weight assemblies on the shaft, each consisting of a weight having its stem rotatably connected with the shaft, a slotted member fastened to the shaft and through which the stem passes, an L-shaped arm rotatably mounted on the shaft and having a short arm arranged in the path of movement of the stem of the Weight, trip mechanism at each side of the crossing, flexible means for connecting the same with the L-shaped arms, said trip mechanism comprising a pair of pedals arranged along the track at each side of the crossing and designed to be depressed by a train, a shaft for each pedal, links connecting the shaft with the pedal, a weight on each shaft, depending arms on the shafts, an adjustable link connecting the arms together, an up wardly extending arm on one shaft and a depending arm on the other shaft to which the flexible means are connected.

In combination with a railway track and a crossing, gates for controlling the crossing, a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, means for connecting the shaft with the gates so that the rocking movementof the shaft will raise and lower the gates, a pair of weight assemblies on the shaft, each consisting of a weight having its stem rotatably connected with the shaft, a slotted member fastened to the shaft and through which the stem passes and an L-shaped arm rotatably mounted on the shaft and having a short arm arranged in the path of movement of the stem of the weight. trip mechanism at each side of the crossing, flexible means for connecting the same with the L-shaped arms, said trip mechanism comprising a pair of pedals arranged along the track at each side of the crossing and designed to be depressed by a train. a shaft for each pedal, links connecting the shaft with the pedal, a weight on each shaft, depending arms on the shafts, an adiustabie link connecting the arms together. an upwardly extending arm on one shaft and a depending arm on the other shaft to which the flexible means are connected and means for yieldingly connecting each pedal with one of its links.

6. Means for actuating a movable member by a vehicle comprising weighted means for moving the member, trip means actuated by the vehicle approaching the member for operating the weighted means and means beyond the member for causing the vehicle to actuate the weighted means to return the member to normal position, such weighted means comprising a shaft connected with the member, a pair of weights movably connected with the shaft, a pair of members fastened to the shaft, and having parts which are engaged by each weight after the same passes its dead center in either direction, a pair of arms rotatably supported on the shaft and having extensions engaging portions of the weights and flexible means for connecting the arms with the trip means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my sigm'iture.

DAVID M. SAUNDERS. 

